Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Wild Card

I know the folks in Texas might not agree with me. And maybe the Rangers fans even believe they still have a chance to win the AL West. But I'm here to say that the AL Wild Card is coming out of the East. And as I was sitting here watching the Rays and Sox in Tampa tonight, I was just about ready to write that despite the fact that the Sox have a four-game lead (3 if the Rays hold on tonight) that I believe that the Rays will make up that ground over the last two months and make the playoffs.

I just don't think that the Red Sox have enough pitching to win it down the stretch. They added the key bat in Victor Martinez, and I think it is a hugh upgrade for Boston. But I'm not sure they can get it done with their starters.

And I just think the Rays (even though they didn't really add anything at the trade deadline) are ready to play very good baseball over the last 54 games. The key for Tampa is going to be doing better on the road. Thus far this season, they are six games under .500 away from the Trop. I think if they get back to 500 - meaning they win 17 of their next 28 away from Tampa, they make the playoffs.

If that happens, I just don't think the Red Sox will have enough to hold off the Rays.

It should be a great couple of months in the American League as at least one team capable of winning the whole thing isn't even going to make the postseason.

About thefanblog

The Mount FanBlog is hosted by Ryan Raffensperger a CPA in Gettysburg, PA - Raffensperger, Martin & Finkenbiner, LLC . The firm was started by his father, a Mount grad, and has served customers in SouthCentral PA and Northern Maryland for 40+ years.

The younger Raffensperger has loved the Mount as long as he can remember, which basically means 1981 - and remembers the true #GloryDays of Memorial Gym. He remembers the players from those days to the athletes who play at Knott Arena today. And if it's a #MountMayhem day, it's going to be a good day.

He holds a Syracuse University degree in broadcast journalism. He has broadcast high school, college & minor league of all sports in his past, and regularly covered high school football for his home town paper. So the blog does make a little sense.

The blog was at one point much more active, but the advent of Twitter (follow @themountfanblog) has made writing a little less important. But he hopes that the balance swings back in favor of more traditional content soon.